As explained earlier, the Brillion School District's 2025–26 budget included approximately $2 million in reductions. About $1 million of those reductions were one-time measures, including a wage freeze, the use of reserve funds, and the reallocation of grant funding to cover employee salaries. The budget also eliminated one band instructor, the elementary STEM aide, the entire business program and an ELL teacher.

If approved, this operating referendum would replace those one time budget cuts, restore the district's financial stability, rehire a band instructor, rehire an ELL teacher, and reinstate staff professional development funds.

Because of budget adjustments and increased state aid, approval of the referendum is projected to reduce the school portion of property taxes by approximately $100 per $100,000 of assessed property value. For a home with an assessed value of $300,000, that would amount to an estimated $300 decrease in the annual school property tax.

The school district's mill rate is projected to decrease from $7.37 to $6.28 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

State aid has not kept pace with inflation. As a result, the Brillion School District must either pass the operating referendum or make an additional $1 million in budget reductions. The district previously operated under a three-year operating referendum, which expired with the 2025–26 budget. Brillion is not alone in facing these financial challenges, as many school districts across Wisconsin are experiencing similar budget constraints.

The district would need to make nearly $1 million in additional budget reductions. Because salaries represent the largest portion of the district's budget, these reductions would likely require eliminating staff positions. The average cost of employing a teacher is approximately $100,000, meaning that about 10 teaching positions would need to be eliminated.

Even if the elementary and middle schools reduced from three classroom sections per grade to two—resulting in class sizes of approximately 30 to 32 students—the savings still would not total $1 million.

At the high school, there are 6.5 teachers who teach elective courses. Even eliminating every elective course would still fall well short of the $1 million reduction needed. Those elective programs include agriculture, Family and Consumer Education (FACE), art, band, choral music, and technology education.

The Vote Yes committee is made up of a dozen parents and community members who recognize the importance of maintaining a strong and successful school district in Brillion. The committee is committed to providing accurate information, fostering community engagement, and encouraging residents to participate in the upcoming election. Keep up with committee news and activities by following us on Facebook at Vote Yes for Brillion Public Schools. The way to continue the excellence of BPS is to be informed, be involved and VOTE!

Even if you don't have children attending Brillion Public Schools, the school district affects the community in several ways. Public schools educate future workers, business owners, and community leaders. They are also one of the public services that many families consider when deciding where to live, which can influence housing demand and the local economy. Schools also serve as community gathering places for events, athletics, concerts, and other activities.

The referendum question will be on the November election ballot. Voting will be at usual voting sites - City Hall and local town halls. If you don't want to worry about your busy schedule or the weather, you can obtain an absentee ballot here. It is so vitally important that every supporter votes.

You must be registered to vote and have lived within the Brillion School District for 28 days. You can check your status here.

As part of the first round of budget reductions, the positions of middle school principal and instructional coach were combined into a single role.

The district currently employs five secretaries, three of whom work part time. Together, they support the district administrator, the three principals, the guidance office, and the athletic director. Their responsibilities extend far beyond answering phones and processing mail. They serve as receptionists, provide basic health support to students, assist with student services, maintain records, complete required state reports, help enforce school procedures, and cover for colleagues when needed.

Both administrators and administrative support staff play essential roles in ensuring the efficient day-to-day operation of the school district.

The answer to this situation shows just how complicated public school funding can be.

In July, the district was notified that the state was proposing an increase in state aid of $530,000. This is state aid, not an increase in the revenue limit, so Brillion would not have additional money to spend. However, receiving more state aid would mean that less money would be needed from local property taxes, which would result in lower taxes.

The Brillion School District is self-funded for health insurance. This means we collect premiums from employees and then pay the medical claims. To protect ourselves from extremely large claims, we purchase a stop loss policy that covers claims exceeding $75,000.

In July, this stop loss policy reimbursed the school district over $700,000 for claims that we had already paid but that were covered by the policy. That sounds great—and it is—but that insurance reimbursement cannot be used to operate the school. Instead, it must be placed in the district's reserve fund and can only be used for future medical costs.

But there is another complication: the insurance reimbursement also affects how much state aid Brillion is eligible to receive. As a result, the original $530,000 increase in state aid has been reduced to just $190,000. This still lowers taxes, but not near as much.

In 2023, Brillion voters approved a three-year operating referendum with a total price tag of $4.38 million. The 2024–25 budget, the last budget with actual numbers rather than projections, included $2 million from that referendum.

When you combine the budget cuts made in the spring of 2026 with a lower referendum request, the result is lower expenditures, which means lower taxes. Brillion is also expected to receive an increase in state aid in the 2026–27 budget, which will further reduce the property tax levy.

We all know that much of the money we spend on our homes is more than just an expense. If you are planning new siding, new windows, a paved driveway, or even landscaping, you quickly learn the importance of investing in your home. Not only might you enjoy the short-term benefits of lower heating bills, but you can also reap the long-term benefits of a higher resale value, stronger neighborhoods, and happier neighbors.

We live in a rapidly changing world. It doesn't matter if you are an electrician, a doctor, a truck driver, or a member of the military—change and advances in technology are constant. We owe it to our current students to prepare them, as best we can, for these changes. This is an investment not only in our students, but also in our community and society as a whole. We need a workforce, both locally and nationally, that is prepared for the future.

Ask any realtor what prospective homebuyers ask about, and the number one answer is almost always, "What is the school system like?" Great schools help sell homes and maintain property values.

In 2026, Brillion hired several new teachers. One question they all asked was, "Is the school supported by the community? Is this a place where I want to further my career?" They know schools are facing challenges and are concerned about whether the community will continue to invest in its schools.

You have to decide: Are you going to invest in our schools, just as previous generations invested in ours?

It is not enough to be proud of Brillion Public Schools - you and all eligible voters in your home need to vote!

The student population and the number of staff has been fairly consistent in Brillion.

More students choose "school choice in" to attend Brillion as opposed to those who choose "school choice out." Here are the past two years' data. These are public school students. Those in the "in" category live outside the Brillion school district but come to Brillion Public to school. Those in the "out" category live in the Brillion school district but attend school in a different district.